The moisture content of dried cashew nut should be around
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For dried nuts like cashews, low moisture content (typically 3-5%) is key to prevent spoilage (mold, insects) and maintain quality (prevent rancidity, maintain texture). Too high moisture is bad for storage; too low can make them overly brittle.
Step 1: Moisture levels of 10% and 12% are too high for dried cashew kernels and invite mould and rancidity, so these are ruled out. Step 2: A moisture level of 1% is unrealistically low and would make kernels excessively brittle. Step 3: A moisture content of around 5% balances shelf stability with acceptable kernel texture. Step 4: The correct answer is 5%.